Frame for supporting the hoods of road-vehicles.



PL-TBR'TBD SEPT. 1'7, 1907.

. J. HOPPER. FRAME FOR SUPPORTING THE HOODS or ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLIOATIOI FILED JUIE 2!. 1900;.

WlTNESSES'. INVENTOR.

@ENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOPPER, OF FULHAM, ENGLAND.

FRAME FOR SUPPORTING THE HOODS OF ROAD-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907. A

Application filed June 22,1906. Serial No. 322,880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that 1, JOHN HOPPER, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, residing at 9 Rye- :croft street, Fulham, in the county ofMiddlcsex, England, have invented a new and useful Frame for Supportingthe Hoods of Road-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

I This invention relates to hoods for road vehicles, and moreparticularly tothose used on vehicles propelled by mechanical means, andit consists of an improved frame for carrying the cover, the objectbeing to dispense with the usual radial supporting rods which areinconvenient on bodies having side-entrances. I attain this object inthe manner shown in the accompanying drawing, in which V Figure 1 is apart view in side elevation of a hood frame in its extended or spreadposition, Fig. 2 is a similar view of the frame in its closed position,and Fig. 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several viewsz-The side members of the frame are made up of a series of pairs of linksA, A, so constructed and arranged as to form and operate as lazy-tongs.The transverse members at of the frame, which carry the cover and ofwhich there may be any convenient number, are car-, ried by brackets afixed to the upper ends of the links forming said side members.

The ends of the rear pairs'of links A, A are connected to a pair ofsupporting members B-one on each side of the body'of the vehicle the enda of the link A being pivoted to the said supporting member and the enda of the link A being pivoted to a socket C adapted to slide on saidmember. The other ends of the said links A, A are attached to a secondsupporting member 13 in the reverse manner, 11. e. the end a of the linkA is pivoted to said member and the end a of the link A is pivoted tothe sliding socket C.

The rear supporting members B are pivoted at b to suitably shapedbrackets b fixed to the rear part of the 'body X of the vehicle, thearrangement being such that the said supports can be readily fixed in anupright position when it is desired to spread the hood. A convenientmethod of effecting this is to form the lower ends 6 as screws toreceive nuts b which when the said supports'are brought into an uprightposition are screwed up and take a bearing on the undersides of thebrackets b ,'for which purpose the said brackets are slotted or forked.The continuation of the frame to the back of the body of the vehicle maybe of the usual construction comprising collapsible stretchers Y pivotedat one end to the tops of the members l3 and at the other to brackets yfixed on the body of the vehicle, the said stretchers carryingtho-spreading struts y The front supporting members B are adapted t9 fitin socketsor brackets b fined to the front seats of the vehicle and tobe clamped thereto by any suitable device, such, for instance, as thatdescribed for fixing the members B in an upright position. Forward ofthe second supporting member B the side frames may consist of any numberof pairs of links A, A, according'to the length of the body the hood isrequired to'cover,

the forward end of the frame consisting of single links,

forward members B are then moved forward and fixed in their brackets12*, which movement causes the whole length of the lazy-tong sidemembers to extend. The side members of the frame are kept extended,either by means of the usual straps connecting the forward end of theframe of the vehicle, or alternatively the sockets a may be locked tothe supporting menibers B & B in any convenient manner, such, forinstance, as the device illustrated by Fig. 3, which consists of a pairof depending plates x carried by the brackets a" and having slots ofin.their lower ends,

which, when the lazy-tongmembers are extended,

engage pins a carried by the sliding brackets C and are kept inengagement there with by means of camshaped levers D pivoted at d to theplates 1: the said levers being so shaped as to draw the two togetherand retain them in that position.

It will thus be seen that there are no radial, diagonal,

or other rods across the sides ofthe body between the front and backseats so that access to the side entrances of the back part of the bodyis not impaired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isz- I v 1. In a hood or canopy frame for road vehicles, the

A combination of a pair of supports pivoted to brackets on the bodyofthe vehicle behind the entrances to the rear part of the vehicle, of apair of supports removably fixed to bracketson the body of the vehiclein front of the said entrances, of sockets sliding on said supports, of

of two collapsible side members comprising a series 0 links constructedand arranged to operate on the lazytongs principle, the rear pairs oflinks of the said members being connected to the supports in thefollowing manner, that is the rear end of one link of each pair belugpivoted to the rear supports and the front ends of said links beingpivoted to the sockets sliding on the front supports and the rear end ofthe other link of each pair being pivoted to the sockets sliding on therear sup ports and the front ends of said links being pivoted to thefront supports, of transverse members carried'by the upper ends ofthelinks. forming the side members, and of means for locking the slidingsockets tothe supports, as set forth.

2. In a hood or canopy frariie' for road vehicles, the

means for locking said supports in their vertical positions,

combination of a pair of supports pivoted to brackets on the body ofthe-vehicle behind the entrances to the rear part-of the vehicle, of apair of supports reinorably fixed to brackets on the body of the vehiclein front of the said entrances, of sockets sliding, on said supports. ofmeans for locking said supports in their vertical positions, of"

' two collapsible side members comprising :1 series of links i that isthe rear end of one link oi! each pair being pivotedto the rear supportsand the front-ends of said links being constructed and arranged tooperate on the lazy-tongs principle, the rearpairs of'links of the saidmembers be ing connected to the supports in the following .manner,

- pivoted to' the sockets sliding on the front supports 5nd the rear endof the other link of each pair being piv'dited to th-8 'SOCkBtS' slidingon the rear supports and the front ends of said links beingpivotedlo-thefront supports, of transverse-members carried-by'the upperends of thefliriks forming the side members, of meansforiocking theslidmg sockets to the supports, of collapsible stretchers pivoted bothto the tops of the rear supportsand to brackets on the sides ofrthe bodyof" the vehicle, of struts carried bysaid stretchers, and ot a cover orcanopy carried and silpported by said frame, as set forth.

3. In a hood or canopy frame fol-road vehicles, the

combination of a pair of supports pivoted to brackets'on the body of thevehicle behind the entrances to the rear part of the vehicle, of a pairof supports removably fixed to brackets on the body of the vehicle infront of the said entrances; of sockets sliding on said supports, of

meansfor locking said supporis in their vertical positions, of twocollapsible side members comprising a series of being pivoted to thesockets sliding on flied-ear supports ahd the fronte nds of .said linksbeing pivoted to the front supports, of transverse members carried bythe-upper ends of the links forming the side members, of col- .lapSible;'stretchers pivoted both to the tops of the rear supports and tobrackets on the sides of-the body of the vehicle, of struts carriedbysaid.stretchers, of a cover or canopy carried and supported by saidframe, and of locking devices for fixing the sockets to the supports,comprising slo'tted plates carried by the said supports, pins carried bythe said sockets and engaging the slots in the plates. and caurshapedlevers pivoted to the slotted plates and adapted to engage thepins'carried by the sockets, as

set forth.

.TOHN HOPPER.

Witnesses:

